Dakar Rally News: Jota’s Will Stevens Key to Porsche Hypercar Assault
As the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) prepares for its return to the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Jota team finds itself in a position of strength, thanks in no small part to the consistent and dependable presence of driver Will Stevens.
Over the past year, the WEC landscape has undergone a significant transformation, with the introduction of the new Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar, the continued success of Ferrari and Porsche, and the arrival of new LMDh contenders from Alpine, BMW, and Lamborghini. Yet, amidst all the changes, Jota has managed to maintain a crucial element of continuity – the unwavering presence of Will Stevens.
The 32-year-old Briton has been a stalwart of the Jota squad, having first joined the team in 2016. His consistent performances and team-first mentality have been instrumental in the team’s achievements, including back-to-back LMP2 victories in 2016 and their title-winning season in 2022.
As Jota expands its Hypercar program, Stevens’s experience and technical expertise have become even more valuable. The team’s principal, Dieter Gass, lauds Stevens’s “very demanding” approach, describing him as “the natural leader in the #12 car with the experience he has in the team and in endurance racing.”
“He’s always thinking and willing to improve,” Gass explains. “I would tend to say he’s never happy. After a podium, he probably was in Qatar! But you know what I mean. It’s good because he’s always pushing everybody in the team to do better.”
With Jota’s sights set on securing outright victory at the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours, Stevens’s role will be crucial in the team’s push to take on the factory-backed Porsche, Ferrari, and Toyota entries. As the WEC season progresses, the world will be watching to see if Jota, with Stevens leading the charge, can once again punch above its weight and challenge the established order.
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